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Rays Haven't Needed Bay - At Least So Far

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By TONY FABRIZIO

afabrizio@tampatrib.com

Published: October 10, 2008

ST. PETERSBURG - Had the Rays been bolder before the trade deadline, they might be penciling in Jason Bay as their right fielder in the opening game of the ALCS tonight.

Instead, they'll be pitching to a player who went from Pittsburgh to Boston and batted. .412 with two home runs and five RBI in the Red Sox's division series elimination of the Los Angeles Angels.

Not adding Bay - or another "big right-handed bat" - before the July 31 trade deadline hasn't cost the Rays yet. They went 21-7 during August despite key injuries, won the AL East and beat the Chicago White Sox in the division series.

But this is league championship, and the Rays still have a lineup that's vulnerable to lefty pitching. If they fall short of a World Series berth, will they wonder if they missed their chance?

TBS analyst and former Blue Jays manager Buck Martinez believes the Rays were right not to mortgage their future.

"Sometimes the best trades are the ones you don't make," he said. "Now they won the division plus they have the guys they were going to have to give up for Jason Bay."

Although the Rays' brass still won't even say whether they discussed trading for Bay, MLB.com reported at one point that a deal was done. It's believed the Pirates were interested in Double-A pitcher Jeremy Hellickson, a player the Rays didn't want to part with.

Boston swooped in before the deadline and worked a three-team deal that sent superstar and super headache Manny Ramirez to the Dodgers and brought Bay from Pittsburgh.

In 49 regular-season games with Boston, Bay batted .293 and drove in 37 runs. He scored in all three division series wins over L.A.

As much as the Rays needed a right-handed hitter to fill the one void in their everyday lineup, Boston may have needed to rid itself of Ramirez and replace some of his production even more.

Martinez believes the Sox are better off with Bay "because they walk in every day and know Jason Bay is going to play left field." With Ramirez, he said, the Sox were left to wonder "whether Manny was going to play today or tomorrow or next week or in 10 days."

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